John- e



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. COTTON, OF FAIRFIELD, MAINE.

FOLDING TABLE.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 845,620, dated July13, 1886.

Application filed April 21, 1886. Serial No. 199,667.

To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, JOHN E. COTTON, of Fairfield, in the county ofSomerset and State of Maine, have invented a new and ImprovedFoldingTable, of which the following is afu'll, clear, and exactdescription. Y

My invention consists of the construction, arrangement, and combinationof parts, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my new and improved table as it appearswhen set up. Fig. 2 is a view of the bottom of the table, showing theboX in which the pawls are held in section, and Big. 3 is an edge viewof the table folded. 7

To the under surface of the table, near its ends, are hinged the legs 13B, and to the center of the top is secured by the screws a a the box B.This box, in this instance, is composed of the I-shaped wooden frame,I), to the ends of thearms of which are secured upon either side themetal plates 0 c. The plates 0 c are slotted, as shown at c, and to theplates upon the inner surfaces are pivoted above the slots the pawls d(1.

Connected to the legs B B by means of the pivoted rungsffare the bracesD D. The upper ends of the braces D are provided with pins 6, that runin the slots 0' when the legs are opened and closed, and when the legsare opened to vertical position, or to a position where they stand atright angles to the top A, the pins strike the ends of the slots and prevent the legs from being swung outward too far. \Vhen the legs are thusopened and the table set upright, the pawls (I drop behind the pins 0,and thus lock the legs in open position.

(No model.)

shown in Fig. 3.

To prevent the braces D from rattling, I place upon the pins 0 insidethe box B the coiled springs g g, which act between the fixed andmovable washers i 2", so that the latter are pressed against the innersurfaces of the plates 0, and prevent the braces from having alooseaction.

I am aware that it is old to employ, in connection with the folding legsof a table and their pivoted sliding braces, spring-stops to retain thelegs in their upright position; also, to employ, in connection with thesame named parts, a keeper and a button pivoted in said keeper andadapted to secure thelegs in their vertical position; and, also, toemploy, in a chair havinga foldingseat, pivoted and sliding braces, uponwhich braces the seat is held as against the downward folding of thelatter by means of catches and a slotted guide.

Having thus fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The hinged legs B, provided with braces D, having pins 0, on which areplaced frictionsprings, in combination with the slotted plates 0, inwhich the pins move, and the lockingpawls (l, pivoted to the plates, toengage with the pins, substantially as described.

JOHN E. COTTON.

WVitnesses:

E. G. 1 1mm,. H. L. KELLEY.

